


Much to Gain

by rebecca_selene



Category: Pocahontas (Disney 1995)
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:34:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22152592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebecca_selene/pseuds/rebecca_selene
Summary: A potentially disastrous crossing of paths turns into an opportunity.
Relationships: Kocoum/Namontack, Nakoma/Pocahontas (Disney)
Kudos: 15
Collections: Poetry Fiction 2019





	Much to Gain

**Author's Note:**

> written for my [poetry-fiction](https://poetry-fiction.dreamwidth.org/) 2019 prompt from _Evensong_ by Tishani Doshi:  
> But it is nothing—  
> this song of our communion  
> Less than what the animals share  
> as they walk to the riverbank in slow repair
> 
> stopping to lick each other's wounds

A laugh escaped Pocahontas as she ran, flitting through the trees, the greens and browns of the familiar forest blurring past her. But at every moment she knew where she was, felt her spirit as one with the land.

She heard her pursuer crash through the underbrush. A wave of renewed adrenaline pushed through her veins, forcing another giddy laugh from her throat.

This, too, was familiar.

Pocahontas dared a glance back. Her slowing allowed Nakoma the space she needed to launch herself at Pocahontas, wrapping around her back. Shrieking and clinging together, they tumbled to the ground and rolled through the leaves, barely missed crashing into any trees, and managed to stop just feet from the river's edge.

Pocahontas could barely hear the gentle lap of the water on the rocks through her and Nakoma's uncontrollable adrenaline-fueled laughter, but she could sense the openness of the bright blue sky above them. It mirrored the open, limitless happiness expanding in her heart. She didn't bother waiting to catch her breath before she pulled Nakoma down into a kiss, pouring into it the expanse of love she felt inside.

Nakoma's soft lips moved over Pocahontas', her fingers over Pocahontas' cheeks and the side of her neck. Eyes closed, Pocahontas felt for Nakoma's hair and pulled it out of its perpetual tie. She ran her fingers through it, reveling in what Nakoma let only her experience.

A cough, so at odds with the sounds of wilderness around them, made Pocahontas and Nakoma break apart and look around. On the other side of the river stood Kocoum, Namontack seated beside him. They stared at Pocahontas and Nakoma.

Nakoma scrambled off Pocahontas, hauling her up as she went. Pocahontas felt an entirely different kind of heat flush her body. Nakoma wouldn't look her in the eye as she plucked leaves and grass from Pocahontas' hair. 

"We were just..." Pocahontas started automatically, her voice carrying over the narrow part of the river to Kocoum and Namontack, but no excuse that could explain away their actions came to mind.

Pocahontas could see her own wariness echoed in Nakoma's face as they and the warriors across the river stared at each other in silence. She half expected anger, shouting, but the clear display of love they had witnessed seemed to render them mute. 

Nakoma looked over at Pocahontas and nodded back toward the treeline. A gesture for retreat. But Pocahontas was tired of hiding, tired of only being herself away from everyone she had grown up with and loved. She wanted to love openly, and though she hadn't meant to get caught today, it almost felt like a relief to have someone else know how much Nakoma meant to her.

She stepped toward the treeline in acquiescence to Nakoma's plea, but she took Nakoma's hand and gripped it tightly, obviously, shooting a defiant stare back over her shoulder before the warriors disappeared from view. Nakoma hissed at her about her folly, reminded her that as princess nothing would happen to her but Nakoma was punishable. But Pocahontas pulled Nakoma in, rested their foreheads together, and promised she would never let that happen.

***

Once their princess and Nakoma had faded into the forest, Kocoum and Namontack released a collective breath. Kocoum finished gathering water into a jug, the task he had hastily pretended to be occupied with when the two women had appeared, though they hadn't seemed to pay any attention to the details of the warriors' presence at all. He took his seat beside Namontack, but they were too jumpy, knowing their supposed tranquil hiding place was now compromised, to resume the closeness from only moments ago.

"Do you think they suspect?" Namontack asked after several long minutes of eying the other side of the river. He ran a hand nervously over his injured leg.

Kocoum shook his head. "Did you see Nakoma's face? She's far more worried about what we'll do with the information we have than with what we were doing here."

"But the princess?"

Kocoum rested his hand over Namontack's, stilling his moving fingers. "Even if she knows, she has nothing to gain by revealing us." He leaned in to place a kiss on Namontack's lips.

"Actually, I think we all have much to gain together."

Kocoum and Namontack broke apart, Kocoum scrambling to his feet. Either he was too distracted (a shameworthy fault in a warrior) or his princess had gotten very, very good at being quiet (which would make his role as her protector utterly pointless), for there she stood behind them, wearing a speculative expression as she focused first on Namontack, then Kocoum.

"Princess," Namontack started, "it's not—"

Pocahontas waved away his words. "It is. I know from personal experience what it looks like. I came here to ensure your silence, for Nakoma's sake"—she looked torn between annoyance and defeat at those words—“but perhaps we could come to an arrangement."

"What kind of arrangement?" Kocoum asked slowly.

"My father wants us to marry," Pocahontas said pointedly. "Nakoma will need a husband soon as well." She turned to Namontack. "Why not preserve village harmony and our hearts at the same time? I cannot think of a better way for us all to be our true selves without scandalizing our people."

Kocoum and Namontack exchanged glances. "You...will agree to marry me?"

"In name only, you understand."

Namontack started. "Of course," Kocoum said quickly to head off any jealousy-fueled insistence on that condition from Namontack. "That...is a reasonable proposal.”

Namontack took a breath. “And Nakoma agrees?" 

"I will ask her. I see no reason why she would not. As long as you don't touch her." Had Kocoum been a new warrior, he would have quelled at the fierceness in Pocahontas' gaze as she challenged Namontack.

"On my honor, I will not," Namontack promised.

Pocahontas' face cleared. "Excellent. I will speak with Nakoma and then share the good news with my father." And she disappeared again.

Namontack groaned. Kocoum knelt beside him quickly, examining his leg for any disturbance of the injury, but Namontack waved him away. "She does more damage than this wound."

Kocoum blinked, then laughed. "She is strong willed, our princess," he agreed.

"You wife, soon."

"In name only, of course."

"Of course." Namontack sighed and looked around. "We'll need to find a new place for us."

Kocoum linked their fingers. "I think we already have."


End file.
